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11 February 2021 13:01

Introducing the Susan Sargison Awards, Tasmania

We are pleased to announce the introduction of an exciting new event into our annual calendar of student awards in 2021. The Susan Sargison Awards in Tasmania will give students in Grades 2 – 5 the opportunity to achieve alongside their Vocational counterparts at the established Joan Burnett Scholarship in October each year.

The inaugural awards will take place on the 23rd October in Launceston and have been established thanks to the generosity of former dancer with The Australian Ballet, RAD Examiner, Tutor and Registered Teacher Susan Sargison. Susan was born and raised in Tasmania and is passionate about the prospect of giving back to the community which fostered her love of dance.

“I remember as a young dancer how excited I was to attend my first professional Summer School in Melbourne. I was very aware how expensive that it was to travel and stay in a hotel on the mainland. By establishing the 'Susan Sargison Awards' I hope I can help in some small way to nurture the talent and assist with the training of young Tasmanian Dancers in the years to come."

Susan holds a Diploma of Dance from the Australian Ballet School having danced with both the Australian Ballet Company and the Dancers Company under the direction of Dame Peggy Van Praggh.  Her professional stage appearances included productions of Coppelia, Giselle, Carmen, Three Musketeer’s, Robert Rays Poems and City Dances. She has had an extensive performing career in both classical ballet and musical theatre spanning over fifteen years which has taken her to Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom.

For over twenty years Susan has been teaching and operating a ballet school in Melbourne from Primary to Vocational Level. She has also been choreographing and teaching classical ballet at tertiary level and adjudicating at Eisteddfods throughout Australia. Susan continues to be a passionate teacher in her role as the Associate Artistic Director of the National Theatre Ballet School.

RAD Australia National Director, Rebecca Taylor said,

“I am thrilled to announce the inaugural Susan Sargison Awards for Tasmania in 2021, made possible through the generosity of RAD teacher and examiner Susan Sargison. RAD Australia’s Student Awards are a long-standing tradition, providing students the opportunity to build their performance skills and experience in a positive and supporting environment. The establishment of the Susan Sargison Awards for graded students recognises the importance of these opportunities for our youngest performers, and is an important and much welcome addition to our RAD Tasmania calendar.”